link --> Puerto Ricans deliver thunderous cheers for Manny Pacquiao

He only flew about 17,000 miles to hear them but Manny Pacquiao got yet another confirmation that he is, indeed, boxing’s most popular practitioner Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

What with this Synday afternoon, being the day of days for New York’s huge Puerto Rican population, I hope all Pacman fans will join me in giving the Borciuas props for their lusty cheers of appreciation when Michael Buffer introduced the Pinoy Idol minutes before Boricua hero Miguel Cotto went at it with Joshua Clottey.

Pacman got some "love" that Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather never got and never will from another boxing mad ethnic group.

10:42 pm, face of Antonio Margocheato comes on the big scree. There is a clip of the now suspended Mexican hammering Cotto en route to a TKO 11 victory and it is answered with thunderous boos.

10:43 pm, Margarito’s visage gets a second round assault by the leather lunged boo birds.

10:45 pm, I actually spotted two or three Ghana flags amidst a sea of Boricua colors.

10:47 pm, Final celebrity at ringside intro goes to—who else, Pound for Pound ruler Pacquiao and the cheering is phenomenal. Clearly, Manny has the respect and a lot of affection coming from PR’s devoted fight fans. (I wonder if beating all those Mexicans has anything to do with that.) This is a real show of respect for MP.